


Radiant Eyes

by ForcedToDoThis404



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Cussing, Family, Fluff, Gen, Halloween, IceWings (Wings of Fire), Military, Politics, Sandwings (referenced), SkyWings (Wings of Fire), Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27319483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForcedToDoThis404/pseuds/ForcedToDoThis404
Summary: On the darkest night of every year, dragons across Phyrria hunker down in their homes, scaring their dragonets with stories of what happened to misbehaving younglings in the dark. Parents would set up many a lantern and torch to keep shadows away from their home for this one night, such that their dragonets could sleep easy. This year should have been no different, except a comet was passing through this darkest night, bright enough to look like a moon.
Kudos: 2





	1. Hatched in the Dark

On the darkest night of every year, when all three moons go dim, fading from view into the inky blackness and the world is bathed in darkness, dragons across Phyrria would hunker down in their homes, setting up many a lantern and torch to keep shadows away from their home for this one night. Parents would often take the opportunity to tell stories passed down through generations to scare dragonets. This year would have been no different. All three moons were dark, and the only sources of light were the stars above and the lights of the dragon and scavenger civilizations below. Only, there was a comet was passing through on this darkest night, bright enough to look like a moon. As if by chance, there was only one expectant couple amongst all the tribes tonight, a minor noble family in the Skywing Kingdom. 

It should also be noted that this day is regarded by many, especially the superstitious as bad luck if one were to do a plurality of things. The only relevant one here is that dragonets who hatch on the darkest night are bad omens.

"Love, will you please stop pacing for just one moment?" Himmel asked with poorly veiled annoyance. "I get that the timing is rather off since the egg was expected to hatch in a few days, but everything should be fine! You need to calm down."

Himmel's mate, Ciel just huffed. "Don't you get it? Dragonets who hatch on the darkest night are bad luck!"

"You believe those stories? Tonight is just an excuse for parents to scare their poor dragonets and light a bunch of mediocre-smelling candles!" Himmel groaned, running his talons over his face. He looked at his mate again, seeing her frantically pace around and glance at the egg. Its once smooth and shiny surface was now marred with a single crack. 

"Still, I can't help but worry about our dragonet's health," she fretted.

"It'll be fine," Himmel groaned again.

"You don't know that," Ciel retorted. She looked out of the window for a moment, right at the bright comet in the sky. "There's the comet too. That's worrisome. Really worrisome."

"I don't, but if something does happen, can we at least save all the panic for future us to deal with?" Himmel grumbled. "Besides, if the comet is bright enough to look like a moon, and our dragonet hatches tonight, then it technically wouldn't be the darkest night, if that helps assuage your worries. I don't know. I really don't. Just calm down, please."

The two were getting ready to sleep after a long day of handling the politics of their little section of the Skywing Kingdom. The Province of Kallion Reunalla was a long, narrow strip of land along the Skywing's western territories, whence the mountains met the sea, creating the cliffs this province was known for. It was a rather backwater territory, not ideal for residential so much as tourism, but that didn't stop Himmel, the Lieutenant Governor of this territory from trying his best to lead it to prosperity. After a long day surveying damage from a rockslide, comforting the victims, and revising a plan for a new dam to consider the economic benefits along with the increased tax expenditure that would follow, he wasn't much in the mood for anything besides spending some quiet time with his mate before a more than likely restless sleep. When the whole place shook as if a small earthquake had struck, rattling the wooden frame of the estate and the furniture within, Ciel's maternal instincts flared, and she rushed to her egg, which had moved from where Ciel had set it in the nest. Both were surprised to see the singular crack in the egg's shell. Himmel was slightly worried the earthquake had damaged the egg, but when it shook, it became clear what was happening. It wasn't long before Ciel connected the dots with old Skywing folklore and now Himmel was left with the arduous task of trying to reason with her. 

"No, no no," Ciel whispered as she kept pacing. "It can't be happening tonight, it just can't. The doctor assured us it was November 2, not today!"

"Love, please, just calm down. Maybe it'll hatch tomorrow or something. I know that some of my cousins took many hours to get out of their eggs," Himmel said, finally getting up from and moving over to his mate, pushing down some of the tension in his neck and wings. "Even if it hatches today, it's just a folktale, nothing will happen."

The egg shook again before more cracks appeared. Ciel rushed to the nest and circled it a few times before settling down, watching the egg earnestly. Himmel spared a small smile. Despite her faults, he couldn't deny she was full of passion, one of the reasons he fell for her. Grateful for the new silence, he sat down to watch the egg too. 

His first-hatched dragonet. Was he ready to be a father?

The egg shook once again before a singular claw pierced the egg, followed by a few more. Several pieces fell away, and the expectant parents caught the first glimpse of their first child. Orange scales with black highlights. That was unexpected. Ciel was a paler shade of orange, like dye diluted with water, whereas Himmel was a darkened shade of orange, like an orange in the shade. 

"What in the three moons are those blackened scales?" Himmel muttered. The orange definitely looked like a fusion of his and Ciel's scales, so where did the black come from? Maybe something was wrong. 

"Shhh," Ciel whispered to Himmel.

The dragonet continued pushing out sections of the fractured shell. Little droplets and strands of residue egg liquid clung to the little dragonet as he clumsily clambered out. Besides the black highlights running down his forelegs and wings, he looked to be perfectly healthy. Ciel leaned down and gave the little dragonet a lick, cleaning up the residue and drawing a little noise of protest from the hatchling. Both parents now waited for the dragonet to look at them. 

He whimpered a bit from the cold mountain air, stumbling around, before colliding with his father's broad chest. Tilting his tiny head upward, Himmel saw that his son's eyes were still closed, but something else drew his attention. A small pattern of scales near his son's eyes, spreading outward somewhat like crow's feet in older dragons, but in the pattern of claw marks.

They glowed.

They glowed red, before fading, and glowing again, steadily like a heartbeat.

It was bright enough to light up the room the three were cradled in, like a candle in the dark.

Ciel licked her son across the face, trying to coax him to open his eyes. 

"Ciel? Ciel, are you seeing this?" Himmel asked.

"Yes," was all she said. 

"Is this bad?" He asked.

"It's strange for sure, we'll just have to see if it's bad," Ciel answered.

"I hope it's good. I mean I think it is good. I have to say, he looks handsome with those markings," Himmel noted with a small smile. He nuzzled his son, sharing some of his body warmth. 

"I think we know what to name him, then," Ciel prompted.

Himmel looked at his son, who seemed to be trying to open his eyes. He smiled again, forgetting the troubles of the day.

"Yes, I think we know what to name him."


	2. Fort Macht

Being the sole son of Lieutenant Governor Himmel had many advantages. He had a privileged upbringing, access to the best tutors, trainers, everything he could ever want. His tongue tasted the richest foods from across the continent, his eyes graced the most dazzling gems and gold, his ears heard the most exquisite music from talented musicians and composers from all seven tribes. Yet, it all paled in comparison to what Radiance saw as the greatest gift in the world. Two loving parents and a wonderful younger sister. 

Radiance felt pride and joy well up inside him as he lay defeated on the ground at the Southern Basic Training Fort, Fort Macht. The pleasant memories flooding his system pushed the pain wracking his body out. His opponent, Staff Sergeant Aquila, stood over his crumpled body.

"Get up maggot!" Aquila roared. "Boot camp is for real dragons, not pansies raised by politicians, and especially not miscolored pansies."

Radiance slowly got up ignoring his body's protests. He knew the sergeant wouldn't take kindly to him talking back, but he hated anyone who would insult him. Be it his miscolored scales or their beliefs in the old folktales about his birthday. 

His father always told him to ignore what his mother said, but he always entertained what she told him.

_"Your father thinks I belong in a loony bin for thinking this, but I've always thought the reason you're different from other dragons is because of when you hatched. You hatched a few days early, on the darkest night of the year, right after a small earthquake caused by a comet bright enough to look like a fourth moon. Your father doesn't believe the folktales, but it is commonly said that dragonets hatching on the darkest night are special."_

"That's where you're wrong, sir," Radiance muttered, grinning. He assumed a fighting position against Aquila, and the match continued. As for why Radiance was sparring with the Sergeant and not one of his fellow cadets, well, he socked one of them in the face. It was the final week of boot camp, but he'd been harassed by his fellow cadets the whole time. They called him a hybrid, which Radiance vehemently denied, but they kept pushing it. When they started calling his mother a whore earlier today, he snapped. As punishment, instead of facing easier opponents in the final sparring evaluation, he would face the sergeant himself. The shit-eating grin the sergeant wore already told Radiance about all the pain he was about to endure.

Aquila blocked or slipped all of Radiance's strikes, before countering with a powerful straight that struck Radiance right in his chest when his guard dropped momentarily to rest his aching shoulders.

"The only thing wrong here is the state of your sickly body, recruit! Get up!" the sergeant shouted. 

Radiance sometimes wondered if the pain was worth it, but the thought of his family always helped him push through the pain. 

_"Radiance, son. Are you sure you want to do this? You could die, and then you'll leave your father and I forever. Don't do this son, life is short enough as it is."_

_"It's my duty to our tribe, mother, father. The Icewings have repeatedly attacked our southern villages, in the bay, despite the treaty signed. I promise I'll make it home."_

_"I suppose there's no convincing you otherwise. I'll see which strings I can pull to get you a quicker path to promotion, so your time on the frontline would be as short as possible."_

_"I suppose."_

Radiance tanked another punch, this time to his face before his forelegs were swept from underneath him with a powerful tail whip. His front end collapsed into the forest dirt, pain lancing through his body. 

"Just another privileged asshole masquerading as a soldier, then," Aquila growled. He grabbed Radiance by the horns and twisted his head to face him. "I don't care what the other recruits say. First strike, first serve. That's the law of the land here."

Radiance growled and tried to sit up but the sergeant pushed his head back down. 

"I'm not done yet. This final sparring evaluation would determine your rank as you graduate boot camp, and your abysmal fighting skills are only saved by your extreme speed. Maybe we'll make you a messenger," Aquila grinned.

Radiance angled his head and started building up a fire in his throat. Aquila's eyes widened slightly, before driving a powerful elbow into Radiance's head, dazing him and stopping the build-up of fire.

"Well, you've got a bite, recruit. Cheeky bastard. No fire in the forest, simple rule. I think you deserve a special punishment to wear down that attitude of yours, recruit" Aquila growled. 

A hail of blows rained down on Radiance. Terrible pain arced and lanced through his body like lightning. He remembered his first time hearing a thunderstorm. The bright flashes and loud booms shook every fiber of his being, and he spent the night cowering under his mother wondering if he'll die. The feeling was very much replicated here, under Aquila. 

"Come on, I thought you wanted to burn me. Aw, are your markings flashing. Are you perhaps thinking of a lovely dragoness back home?" Aquila asked as Radiance's eye markings started to flash brighter and faster. 

As for Radiance, anger, and thoughts of lightning and fire started building up heat in his head, displacing all the protests his body was sending to his brain. The searing heat built up behind his eyes and he wondered if he would die right then and there, the sergeant continuing to strike him. His pained oofs and grunts slowly morphed into grit teeth as he tried to fight through the burning sensation, hoping it would go away. 

The sergeant noticed the change, thinking Radiance finally blacked out. He backed off and watched the still recruit. Radiance's eye markings were now solidly growing and still growing brighter. His eyes were screwed shut, but the gasps and sounds of shock from the recruits confirmed to Radiance that something was wrong. The pain and heat were now unbearable in his eyes. It needed somewhere to go. Radiance needed the pain to go away. He howled in agony as his glowing eyes shot open. He clamped his talons over his eyes, trying everything to alleviate the new sensations and pain.

Moments later, he collapsed in the scorched dirt as the burning pain behind his eyes finally dissipated, the pain from the strikes the sergeant dealt him flooding back. He panted for air, but only breathed in smoke.

It took him a few minutes to collect his scattered thoughts and battered body, but when his claws came down from his eyes, and he looked around, he was greeted with devastation all across the forest. Burning branches lay on the forest floor, trees marked with scorch marks, some even sliced clean in half. But the state of the forest wasn't of concern to him so much as the cadets that were being tended to for burn marks. 

His fellow cadets and Sergeant Aquila noticed that Radiance wasn't curled up and covering his face.

He was scared. He didn't know he could do this, and he especially didn't know how they would react.

Aquila's face split into a grin. He started laughing. Not pained, or angered, but mirthful. 

"Bravo, cadet! I'll be giving you good marks. You can show those Icewing bastards we mean business!"


	3. Never Again See the Radiant Eyes

True to his word, Staff Sergeant Aquila did give Radiance good marks for his final spar evaluation. Perfect score, in fact. He informed the top Skywing brass of Radiance's powers and when they didn't believe him, had Radiance demonstrate on a secluded mountain peak.

Radiance needed only to envision heat building up in his head instead of the throat, and his body would do the rest for him. A few moments of accelerating flashing of his eye markings and his scarlet pupils would be consumed with a powerful glow that flared outwards with power many times greater than that of Skywing fire. Just mere moments looking at the rock face of the mountain saw a hole melted into the solid granite several dragon lengths long. 

He was given a battalion to lead soon after finishing officer school; as promised, his father pulled a few strings, and he was promoted to captain within weeks. The first operation led Radiance to the city of Dafin. Dafin was roughly a 2 hours flight south from the agreed border between the Icewings and Skywings. The Skywing crown has repeatedly backed down from conflict, seeing as most of the territory having encroached was largely just empty land, where Skywing authority was dodgy at best. Unfortunately, Dafin was a strategically important city, controlling the mouth of the rivers that marked the border between Skywing and Sandwing territories, as well as the city of Possibility to the south. To lose the city would strain relations with the Sandwings, and so Radiance's battalion and several others were sent to strengthen the city's garrison of 90 and drive the Icewings back. 

So here Radiance was, planning the attack with the other battalion commanders.

"Understanding that the city of Dafin is located at the mouth of the river and that the Icewings are camped on the island, about 200 dragons strong, and acknowledging the Queen's order's, what's the battle plan?" Colonel Ardeur asked.

"I can take my battalion and launch a surprise attack in the dead of night. Communication wouldn't even be difficult," Radiance offered, hopeful for an opportunity to launch the attack by himself, and an opportunity for respect.

"We know what you're capable, and fully acknowledge your ability in battlefield communications but you wield only 44 dragons. How can a single battalion possibly hope to take down a force 5 times the size?" Major Crimson shot back. "It should be straightforward what we do. Full force attack, be it in a pitched battle in daylight for better coordination or in the dead of night for the surprise factor."

"Smaller attack groups have their advantages too. If a single battalion were to attack in the dark of night, we'd be much harder to detect than a full force of almost 300 dragons. Furthermore, they're on the island, so the more dragons we have, the easier we are to be detected. The moment we lose control of our dragons at night, our casualties will skyrocket. The goal is to drive them out, not destroy them," Major Tempest added. Radiance found himself nodding. He still had much to learn. 

Colonel Ardeur nodded as well. As the leader of this operation, the final decision would naturally fall to him. 

"Since Radiance is the only one who desires to risk his dragons in these operations, and the only one seemingly capable of relaying orders and communications in the dark with his glowiness, then shall we send you on a visit to our Icewing opponents?" he asked the commanders before him.

Crimson only shrugged. Tempest and Radiance both nodded, the latter fervently so.

"Take your dragons to the Icewing island tonight then. Do whatever you need to do to route them. I doubt they'll leave without a fight, so try to focus on killing as many of them as possible," Ardeur ordered.

"Kill them?" Radiance sputtered. "Surely that won't be necessary! I can go in by myself and grab their commanding officer."

"Kill them, no questions asked," Ardeur affirmed. Radiance only grimly nodded and saluted, before exiting the building to inform his troops. "We'll keep our troops on guard. If we see a red light in the sky, we're mobilizing, but keep in mind flight time to the island is 20 minutes."

It wasn't long before he found himself leading the formation of Skywing shock troops, refitted with leather armor and clubs, as well as serrated claw extensions. They were already informed of the plan. They would land on the island and surround the side of the camp that was facing the mainland, hoping it would drive them back into the Ice Kingdom. Radiance, in his young blood and quest for glory and respect, had told his troops something his higher-ups did not authorize. 

_"After you all take positions around the camp in a crescent shape facing towards the Ice Kingdom, I am to go alone into the center of their camp and take their commander hostage. If you see a bright red beam, that is your signal to attack, but do so with caution."_

Radiance quietly stalked through the Icewing camp, seeing the neat rows of tents, the boxes of armor, and weapons. He had silenced the first few night guards with ease, and he was well on his way to the center of the camp, where the commander likely was. Keeping his footfalls light as a feather and calming his heart, he couldn't help but feel a little bit giddy. This would likely mark the first conflict of the war, and though Radiance didn't fancy bloodshed much, he was willing to lay down everything for his home. His pride and search for glory led him here, and he will not fail.

Grabbing the sleeping Icewing by his maw and putting him in a submission position, meaning tails twined, full-body press, clamped jaw, and a chokehold, Radiance planned to choke the commander into oblivion, before bringing his unconscious body back to his lines and demand negotiations. Unfortunately, Radiance was too young and far too small to properly do this, and the commander's thrashing and yelling woke up the whole camp. 

Radiance found himself locked in a wrestling competition where the winner got to live against a dragon far larger and more experienced than him, surrounded by Icewings who were still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes, but nonetheless alert.

"Stand back. I want this whelp for myself," the commander grinned, holding Radiance down with just a single forelimb. His thrashing and weak slashes did little. "How foolish you are, young one. What shall I do with you? Maybe I should kill you, or use you as a bargaining chip. So many ideas, so little hostages. Tell me, what's your rank?"

"I'm not saying shit, seal-snorter," Radiance growled. "Let me go now, or you'll regret it."

"Oh, you're ballsy, I'll give you that. Unfortunately, you snuck up on me and tried to do moons knows what. Felt like you were mounting me, to be honest. I don't swing that way, so I think I'll just kill you now."

Radiance started to panic. He didn't want to die. He wanted to go home. He felt insulted. He felt stupid. 

Heat started to build up behind his eyes. He grinned as the shit-eating grin on the Icewing's face melted. The startled yelps of fear and surprise started to grow as Radiance's eyes started to glow. 

A short moment later, a body hit the ground, missing a head and seared at the neck.

Silence overtook the camp before all the dragons rallied to attack Radiance. He built up the heat once again, before going on the offensive. In all the commotion, he didn't notice a flood of Skywings, his battalion, coming in from the South, and the singular Icewing that was away from the action, equipped with an animus-enchanted spear. 

"Target the Skywing with radiant eyes," the trembling Icewing whispered to the narwhal spear. He'd woken up to commotion and watched his commander's head get blown off by this freaky Skywing. His father crumpled to the ground in front of him like an iceberg into the black, inky ocean. He watched the singular silver circle his father wore fall to the ground. A symbol of all the work and pain his father endured to reach that position in Icewing society. It was fortunate that they were sent out with an animus spear that only needed a description of its victim.

The Skywings roared in victory as they saw a singular Icewing soar out of their view, towards the Ice Kingdom. Thanks to their captain, they destroyed the Icewing force with zero casualties.

"Um," a single voice called out, bringing the crowd of dragons down from the high of their victory. "We lost one."

The dragons all flowed towards the singular voice. There, amongst the burnt and severed bodies of Icewings, a singular Skywing, spear penetrating his head and planted in the ground, holding the corpse up in a gruesome manner. They watched helplessly as the light glow still left on the eye markings flickered before fading out forever.

Radiance was dead. 

_Under a false moon did he hatch._

_In a world shaken on the darkest night,_

_Not a single dragon was his match._

_Proudly did he fight,_

_and so did he lead._

_Deadly was his sight,_

_and so was his greed._

_Even as victory was near_

_He lost everything he held dear._

_Even as life left his radiant eyes,_

_did he think about those he held near._

_So awful was the day, when one could hear the cries._

_If only he knew how great was their fear_

_The fear that they would not ever again see his radiant eyes._


End file.
